“The Bride of the Lake” by Rita Bonfanti
Any similarity with fictitious events or characters is intentional. The novel is based on a true (documented) story. The main character is the author’s great-grandmother.
Summary
Cecilia Rossi was born in Como in 1870, and grows up in a social context heavily influenced by the silk industry. At the age of 16 she falls in love with Sandro, a kind and educated young man from Umbria. The relationship between the two is opposed by her father Zaverio, who would rather she marry a local textile worker than a foreign paper-pusher.
The girl fakes compliance, while still seeing her lover in secret. The day her father finds out Sandro confronts him - striking at the loom - and finally earns permission to marry Cecilia after a difficult negotiation.
The wedding is celebrated on 15th August 1891. After lunch the newlyweds head for the lakefront to board a ferry that would take them to Cernobbio for a brief honeymoon. The “Ferragosto” holiday has attracted many tourists in town and the pier is overcrowded. Suddenly, the jetty collapses and over 60 people fall into the water. In this tragic event Sandro drowns, leaving Cecilia lonely and desperate.
Return to her family is even more hardship to endure as Zaverio blames her for what happened. The gloom of her family home pushes her to accept the marriage proposal of Pino Cattabriga, a finanziere from Emilia deployed in Como. The prospect of leaving her hometown - as a consequence of the corps’ rule imposing immediate relocation of members of the Guardia di Finanza who marry a local woman - is a deciding factor in her choice. The couple thus moves to Venice.
In the City by the Lagoon Cecilia rekindles her zest for life, and the birth of Rino lifts her spirits. The quiet however does not last long, as meningitis claims the first-born at 10 months old. Mad with grief, Cattabriga attempts suicide. To avoid having him institutionalised, Cecilia flees Venice and brings her husband to her in-laws. Once in Emilia, she finds out she is pregnant, and the news bring Pino back to reason.
In November 1894 - two months before giving birth - husband and wife return to Como. In the lakeside town Pino finds a new job as a boatman at the “Lariana” steamboat company. A few peaceful years follow - the family grows larger and, after Bice, Nino and Sandrina are born.
In the year 1900 in the spring - during a trip to Emilia set up to introduce the children to their paternal grandparents - Nino dies due to a sudden disease. A frantic Pino swears to never come back to his native land which has taken his child from him.
A few months later Lina, and in April 1902, Augusta are born.
The last child is born while Pino is away from home. For a few years he has been assigned to freight transport up the Lake, which keeps him away from his family for weeks on end. He only gets permission to leave after 15 days. It is the evening of 11th May. During his trip back to Como he dreams of holding his baby girl for the first time.
The ferryboat departs from Cernobbio pier - second-last call - at dusk. Suddenly a heavy storm comes. Pino, while working on the bulwark, is blinded by lighting and falls over into the water. The shore is not far away. Captain Oreste Stoppani - convinced that Pino can swim to safety on his own - orders his machinists to keep heading forward, but everyone insists to rescue him. Stoppani then makes a fatal mistake and, instead of turning the engines off and lowering a lifeboat, orders the boat to go in reverse.
Pino’s body resurfaces 18 days later by the Cernobbio pier with his head smashed by an engine blade. Cecilia, in an outstanding display of fortitude, sues the Lariana “for having caused the death of her husband”, but the case is dismissed 3 days later leaving the twice-widow on her own, having to work harder than ever to keep his family afloat.
The Bride of the Lake” is a family story in which the characters are well portrayed and never confuse the reader. The family dynamics are complex and well laid out; the author accomplishes to recreate the life of feeling and affection as they were lived back then. Narration is carried on comfortably, thanks to a style that enriches the portrayal of customs and traditions of the time and a compelling language that succeeds in alternating the story’s timelines and storylines. The addition of several phrases in the dialects of Como, Venice, Umbria and Emilia is seamless. It is a novel that conveys the deepest meaning of living through the joys and strains of the protagonist. A moving yet not tear-jerking story, an enjoyable and deep novel.
The novel earned the following accolades: Finalist at the International Prize “City of Como” (4th edition - 2017) Winner of the Prize “City of Aosta” (15th edition - 2017)
Published in November 2016, it has been reprinted 8 times for a total of almost 2000 copies sold.
Genre: BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Cultural Heritage
2000 copie cartacee vendute
PREFAZIONE
Mamma, ho sognato il lago, la luce del tramonto danzava sulle onde, poi, d’improvviso, è calato il buio. Da cinque giorni giaccio in un letto d’ospedale, ho gli occhi chiusi, la voce mi manca. Tra poco ci incontreremo di nuovo, sono felice e impaurita. I ricordi di una vita stanno per svanire.Ho visto due guerre, ho superato la spagnola, mi sono sposata tre volte e ho avuto due patrigni: mio padre e il lago. Non stupitevi, mamma, se parlo male di papà. Anche voi avete saggiato l’aridità del suo cuore. Riguardo al lago non ho nulla da aggiungere che già non sappiate, eppure, nel sogno, ho sentito di amarlo come in quel mattino di tanti anni fa, quando il profumo del temporale impregnava l’aria e la primavera bussava alla mia vita.
Parte prima 3 maggio 1891 – 27 marzo 1892
Capitolo I
L’emozione l’aveva svegliata. Era talmente presto che non si sentiva ancora il canto mattutino degli uccelli, solo il ticchettio regolare della sveglia, accompagnato dal respiro lento di Carlotta, rompeva il silenzio nella stanza. A lungo era rimasta a rigirarsi tra le lenzuola con la speranza di potersi riaddormentare.
D’un tratto aveva allungato la mano verso il comodino, cercando a tastoni la scatola degli zolfanelli. La luce dell’alba filtrava dalla finestra e i rari cinguettii, iniziati pochi minuti prima, si erano trasformati in un concerto.
La fiammella si mise a crepitare su quel poco che restava della candela iniziata la sera precedente, illuminando la copertina di un libro in brossura. Era stato Sandro a procurarglielo; per arrivare all’ultima pagina era rimasta sveglia fino a tarda ora. Svelta, lo fece sparire nel cassetto del comodino. Il papà non voleva che perdesse tempo a leggere, lo considerava inutile, anzi dannoso, poiché le faceva consumare cera per niente.
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English
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Already translated.
Translated by Erika Price
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Author review: The translator Erika Price provider to be competent, reliable and available for requests from the author and very scupulous in making a correct and captivating translation |
